Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Sneak Peek: The Thorn Chronicles, Chapter 1
About the Author
Also by Kimberly Loth
From the Author
Copyright © 2016 by Kimberly Loth
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced in any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead is completely coincidental.
Cover design by Rebecca Frank
Interior Design by Colleen Sheehan
For Dieter F. Uchtdorf
For being the one who inspired me to start it all
Sid blinked his eyes open. He was sitting in a tall circular library he’d never seen before. Seconds ago, he was in the theater room with Aspen, Rowan, Val, Hazel, and Skye. They’d opened the prophecy book, and now he was suddenly in this room. He craned his neck around to see what was around him. The shelves disappeared into the dark. Aspen touched his knee, and he became aware that he was not alone.
“Where are we?” she asked.
Sid shook his head and took in the room. Hazel and Val were both stretching, and Skye and Rowan held hands. The center of the room was filled with squishy couches and chairs and a handful of small round tables.
Skye gave a nervous laugh. “So I wasn’t expecting the book to take us somewhere else.”
Neither was Sid. The walls seemed to close in on him. How were they going to get out? It seemed impossible trapped here.
Aspen frowned. “So does that mean we’ve disappeared from home? Like if someone were to go into the room, they’d find nothing?”
Sid crossed his arms and took deep breaths, trying to ease the tightness in his chest. “No idea. We should see if there is a way out.” He glanced around the walls, and all he could see were books. No windows or doors. This could be a trap from the white witch. She was the only dragon he knew who possessed magic. Magic he didn’t know how to fight.
Sid felt foolish that the white witch was Candide. Of all the dragons, she probably hated him more than anyone else. He wouldn’t be surprised if this was completely personal. And not just because Aspen killed Winerva, but because Candide was in love with him. Sid wasn’t sure how it had happened.
He had gone up to the arctic dragons as an ambassador one summer about fifty years ago. He hadn’t been happy about it because they said Skye couldn’t come with. She snuck up there anyway, but by then Candide had been spending every waking moment by his side. She was nice enough, but he was just being polite. He wanted to prove he could schmooze with the best of them. Skye showed up right after Candide sealed herself to him. He left the next day and spent several months trying to convince Skye that he wanted nothing to do with Candide. Unfortunately, his ambassador mission ensured that any dealings with the arctic dragons had been icy after that. Now, Candide was the white witch herself.
Unbelievable.
Val pulled Hazel over to one of the bookshelves. Sid watched them for a second. Sid was having trouble absorbing the idea of the three kings. Growing up, he’d known about the possibility of becoming king and leading the dragons, but now he had two additional kings. Did he rule over them or were they all equal? He didn’t know what they would do if they disagreed.
Sid and Skye stood next to each other studying the books in the walls. None had titles on the spines, and when Skye tried to pull one out, it wouldn’t budge.
“Everett and his damn riddles,” she muttered.
Sid creased his eyebrows. This didn’t make sense. Why would Skye be talking about Everett?
“What do you mean?” He’d forgotten that Skye spent time with Everett after Sid became king.
“Everything he does is a stupid riddle. Rowan and I would’ve found the prophecy book ages ago if he’d been straightforward, but instead we went on a wild goose chase. I still have a letter he left for me that won’t open. Figures that we couldn’t just read the prophecy.”
The tightness in Sid’s chest released a little. “So you think this is actually his doing and not the witch?”
“Probably. He does stuff like this all the time.” Skye leaned her head up against one of the books and sighed.
Well, that’s a relief. He wasn’t terribly worried about Everett trying to kill them. “What do you think we should do?” They still needed to get out of this room.
“Hell if I know. I’ve yet to solve a riddle successfully.” She snorted.
“Lucky for you, you don’t have to solve this one,” an unfamiliar voice said. Sid and Skye spun around.
An old man with a white bushy beard and wide smile appeared in the middle of the room. He wore a red flannel shirt and blue jeans.
Skye flung herself over a couch and threw her arms around him. He embraced her and kissed the top of her head.
“I thought you were dead,” she said. Sid wondered who it was. Maybe Everett, but Sid had seen him die, so it couldn’t be him.
The man pulled away and gave her a sad smile. “I’m afraid I am.”
Skye furrowed her brow. “Does that mean we are as well?”
“No. You are most certainly not dead. I created the book with the prophecy before Aspen’s testing. I’m glad to see she survived. Would you introduce me to the others? We have a lot to talk about.”
Skye took a step away from him. “But how are you here?”
“This is an illusion I created so you would have all the answers you needed about the prophecy. I will tell you what I can. Now come, time is wasting.”
Skye waved everyone into the middle of the library. Sid took Aspen’s hand, and she squeezed it.
“Everyone, this is Everett. Everett, this is Rowan, Hazel, and Valentine. You know Sid and Aspen, right?” Skye asked.
Everett gave Sid a smile. “Of course, I know Sid and Aspen.”
Sid approached Everett and Skye. He’d met Everett once as a dragon, but had never seen his human form.
“It’s good to see you,” Sid said. He didn’t know what else to say. Everything about this was bizarre. He hoped Everett had answers though. Something that would direct them in the coming war.
War. That was his future the minute Val showed up, but now with Skye as the third king and the prophecy right in front of them, reality was smacking him in the face.
“I’ve been expecting you. Waiting for this moment actually. The next few months will not be easy, but I have faith in all six of you. If
you heed the prophecy, you might make it out alive. The chances of that are slim though. For you to survive, you’ll have to do things that require you to make sacrifices—sacrifices I’m not sure you’ll be willing to make.”
Sid was offended Everett thought that of them. Of course sacrifices would have to be made. That was war. Everett made it seem like they wouldn’t be able to do what was necessary.
“Tell us what to do, and we’ll do it,” Sid said. He had to step up and take the lead.
“Oh, Obsidian, ever the loyal king. You will do anything to save your people, but not all in this circle feel that way. Now, let us sit and be comfortable. This will take some time, but we must hurry.”
Everett snapped his fingers, and the couches and chairs arranged themselves into a small circle. Sid sat down and pulled Aspen next to him. They’d been waiting for answers, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to embrace the future.
Everett took a deep breath. “To fully understand the prophecy, you must understand our history, much of which has been lost in recent centuries.
“Before humans inhabited the Earth, dragons lived all over the world. The Americas were the natural home of the royal dragons, and the others did not live here. The underground dragons lived in Australia. Fire dragons were spread out amongst all the Pacific Isles, not just Hawaii. Arctic were in Russia; the sea never came on dry ground, remaining forever in the oceans. The ancestors of the woodland dragons lived in the forests of Europe. The canyon dragons lived in the deserts of Africa, and the river dragons lived in China.
“But with human civilization came wizards who felt threatened by the dragons. The wizards found ways to drive out the dragons from their homes, and they all found refuge in the Americas. The natives of this land didn’t try to kill them, and the natives left alone the dragons, who thrived for thousands of years.
“Dragons were not meant to live in such close quarters. They fought over food, caves, and space to fly. Some dragons thought themselves better than others and would fiercely protect large regions. It was clear the dragons needed a leader, and with several dragons vying for power, the dragon wars began. It ended with a king and peace. But I knew it would not last, for I had been given the gift of prophecy, and I saw our extinction. That prophecy became known as The Prophecy of the Three Kings.”
Sid liked this history lesson. It would put the prophecy in context.
“Over the years, those who knew of the prophecy passed the story on, and it became like a fairytale, with very important parts lost. I kept it to myself because I knew it wasn’t time to share the truth, but now is the time. Know this. Enchantments are in place. You will hear the prophecy in its entirety, but you will not be able to speak of this to anyone, including amongst yourselves. It must be this way to protect the prophecy from falling into the wrong hands.”
Sid looked around at the rest of them. Skye sat on the edge of her seat. Rowan clenched his fists. Sid worried about them. They’d disappeared for weeks, and suddenly they came back, and Skye’s a king. That was so unexpected. He was certain she ran because of that. She never handled stress well.
Val’s eyebrows were creased, and Hazel stared off into space, but that might be the way she listened. Sid was happy to have Val on his side. As emotional as Skye was, Val was solid. He always acted rationally and calm.
Aspen bounced in her seat and whispered in his ear. “We’re finally going to hear this thing.”
At least she was excited by it.
“Three kings will rise from the land, the sea, and fire. Together they will battle the snow witch. The war will be one the world never forgets. Species against species. Brother against brother. Sides will be taken early. All dragons will fight, save those who live in secret.
“Each king has a different role to play. The leader, the coward, and the betrayed. But they could just as easily become the tyrant, the brave, and the betrayer.
“A princess will rise from the darkness and be a light to all who know her. Beware the knight. He will cause her death.
“Who will win, no one knows. If it be the witch, she will enslave all of humanity. If it be the kings, only one will live to rule, but for one to live, they must work together. Never divided.
“Do not forget the queens. They are key to saving us all. ”
Everett stopped talking. No one said a word.
“Can you elaborate?” Skye asked.
She asked what Sid wanted to, and he was grateful for her question. Even knowing the full prophecy, they didn’t have any more real answers. They had more questions now, actually. He’d hoped that by reading the whole thing they would’ve had a roadmap on exactly how to fight the white witch and her magic.
Everett smiled. “I will answer three questions. One from each of the kings.”
“Hey,” Aspen said jumping up, anger written on her face. “What about the queens?”
“My dear, any question you would ask, I would be unable to answer. As it is, I expect the kings will not like the answers I give them. You have exactly three minutes until all of this disappears and you will be back in your own home.”
Three minutes. Sid thought quickly. “Which king will fill each role?”
“A clever question. It could be one, it could be all. Each king will have to walk the path he chooses.”
Sid furrowed his brow. That wasn’t much of an answer, but as he opened his mouth to ask for more, Skye interrupted him. “Who is the princess?”
Everett leaned back and tapped his chin. “She is unexpected.”
Skye scoffed. “That is not an answer.”
“Time is disappearing. Val, your question.”
“How will the queens save us?”
Everett paused for a second and looked both Aspen and Hazel in the eyes. There was softness there that Sid hadn’t seen before. “By being human.”
Everett disappeared and everything went black once again. Just before Sid gave into the darkness, he thought of the white witch. He had no magic. She did. In a flash, she could completely disable them. He had no way to win this war.
Sid cracked open his eyes. His muscles were sore as he stretched his arms over his head. He stood and shook out his arms. Everybody else was doing the same. Aspen stared at him for a half second before he engulfed her in a hug.
“How are we going to make it?” he whispered in her ear.
“I don’t know. But we will,” she replied. She was right, but it was hard for him to have hope.
He let go of her. Val and Hazel looked lost. The only one who hadn’t woken up yet was Rowan. Skye collapsed next to him and stared at Sid with wide eyes. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Maybe Everett just wanted to talk to him for another few seconds.”
“What could he possibly have to say to Rowan that he couldn’t say in front of us or at least me?” Skye picked up Rowan’s hand and held it close to her chest.
“Rowan will tell us,” Sid said.
Val snorted. “Unlikely. We aren’t allowed to talk about what we heard. I can’t figure out how we’re supposed to make a plan without talking about it.”
“Let’s wait until Rowan wakes before we see what we can and can’t say,” said Sid. Val glared at him. Sid didn’t know what his problem was, though they were all trying to figure out what their roles were. Val was a king. Sid supposed Val had the right to lead them too, but to have three of them vying for power would cause a mini war. They didn’t have time for that.
Skye wasn’t listening to them anymore. She only had eyes for Rowan, who hadn’t even so much as blinked.
“You’re up,” a voice squeaked. Sid spun around and saw Runa fly into the room.
“How long were we out?” Aspen asked.
“A week.” Runa landed next to Rowan. “What’s wrong with Rowan? Why isn’t he awake?”
A week? They were only with Everett for a half hour at
most. A lot could happen in a week.
Skye held Rowan’s hand, and Sid put a hand on her shoulder. “We don’t know what’s wrong with him. We’re assuming that Everett is still talking to him.”
Skye looked up at him with panicked eyes. “He will wake up, won’t he?” Her voice shook as she spoke.
“Give it a few more minutes. He’ll be fine.” Sid wasn’t so sure, but he didn’t want to say anything to Skye.
Seconds later Rowan blinked his eyes open and jumped up. Thank the gods. Sid didn’t know what they would’ve done if he hadn’t recovered.
Rowan grabbed Skye’s hand and pulled her up. He shoved her behind him and whipped out his swords. He stood with his back to her and with his swords held high. “No one come near her.”
Everett must’ve told him something else. Were they really a threat to Skye?
Sid held his hands up, and Skye peered around Rowan.
“Rowan, this is ridiculous. None of us are going to hurt Skye,” Sid said. He wasn’t sure what Rowan was thinking.
Rowan lowered his swords a fraction of an inch. “Did you hear something different than I did? Only one of you survives.”
Skye stood behind him with wide eyes.
“But it doesn’t mean we kill each other,” Sid said.
Rowan faltered for a second, and Skye moved in front of him. She pushed his hands down and met his eyes. “Rowan, no one here is going to hurt me. Let’s put those away.”
Aspen stepped around Skye. “Actually, I think we’ll need to find us a few more of those.” She snatched one of the swords out of his hand and held it out.
“Careful with that,” Skye said. “The swords are dragon killers and can slice through anything, including body armor.”
Aspen spun around, nearly impaling Sid. He pried the sword out of her hand. “Skye’s right. These will kill anything, including dragons. I’m guessing this is what he used to kill those two dragons he slayed.”
Rowan nodded. Sid handed him the sword, and he sheathed them.
“Am I the only one who’s totally freaked out by what we heard?” Rowan asked.
Val shook his head. “I think it will take a few days to process it all. I’m starving. Can we get something to eat, and then we’ll talk?” A bead of sweat had appeared on his forehead, and his skin was pale. Sid was glad to know he wasn’t the only one freaking out just a little.
The Kings: The Dragon Kings Book 5 Page 1
